Retaliation: An unconventional conflict

President Bush has called the terrorist attacks on the United States an act of war, and Congress has authorized the use of force against those responsible.

SUMMARY:

Taliban forces claim to have shot down an unmanned spy plane in northern Afghanistan, the Taliban consul-general in Peshawar, Pakistan, told CNN. The Pentagon so has declined to comment.

UPDATE:

IThe United Arab Emirates has cut diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, reducing support for the hard-line Taliban rulers. That leaves Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as the only two nations that recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Pakistan has since said it will not sever diplomatic relations.

Talks between U.S. and Pakistani military officials are focusing on what facilities American forces would like to use to back up possible operations in Afghanistan, senior Bush administration officials say.

Turkey has granted a U.S. request to use Turkish airspace and airbases for U.S. transport aircraft in any response to the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. It was the first public pledge of specific support from Turkey, though the country had already vowed full cooperation with the United States.

Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden: Director of the U.S. National Security Agency,
responsible for gathering intelligence on terrorist cells.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf: The military ruler of Pakistan, one of three
countries that officially recognizes the Taliban, the ruling militia of
Afghanistan harboring bin Laden. The others are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Click here for more.

Mullah Mohammed Omar: The Muslim cleric who leads Afghanistan's ruling Taliban. Taliban officials say they have played host to bin Laden but do not allow him to engage in terrorist activities. Click here for more.

IMPACT:

The attacks on the nation's landmarks of power and security signal the start of a protracted battle on terrorism that could permanently alter core U.S. military and diplomatic strategies.